A visit to creative district Hackney

In London you can easily walk around in one of the many neighborhoods for a day while still getting the feeling that you haven’t seen everything. It’s lovely to explore all those ‘tiny cities‘ in this big London Town. In the meantime we have been able to discover some different neighborhoods such as South Kensington, Richmond, Shoreditch and Peckham. This time we went to North East London, where we visited upcoming district Hackney.

Mare Street.

The London Borough of Hackney is a London Borough in Inner London, United Kingdom and borders Shoreditch and Hoxton. This area in London is usually labeled as one of the poorer parts of London, but Hackney has a busy creative street life and benefits from that great East London effect where you can find something for everyone.

Regent’s Canal.

We love to visit these kind of districts where you want to explore the smaller streets to see what can be found behind the doors of the old buildings. The London art scene, which has been supplanted by rising prices from Hoxton, has established itself in this area, and has, among other things, given shape to the former empty warehouses. Time to discover this trendy neighborhood.

Space Studios is a leading visual arts organisation that provides creative workspace, support and promoting innovation.

After a delicious lunch at Tre Viet on the Mare Street (the historic and administrative heart of Hackney) we decide to continue our route to one of the many markets that Hackney knows. Unfortunately on Sunday not all the markets are open, but luckily Netil Market on Westgate Street is. This market is run by small entrepreneurs, who can rent a kind of ‘wooden hut‘ at a low rate. It’s not a big market, but the vibe is good with music, food, vintage and nice people.

With bags full of fruit and vegetables we continued our way to the Hackney City Farm. This urban farm is located in Hackney since 1984 and gives the local community the opportunity to experience agriculture in the heart of the city. A place where children and adults can get close to a range of animals such as pigs, chickens, donkeys and goats.

After visiting the animals and garden you can enjoy a delicious lunch in the restaurant.

Hackney City Farm is committed to environmental improvement and supports various projects to improve the community and the local environment. In addition to animals, you can also find a spacious city garden which offers access to various plants, flowers and vegetables.

This city farm looks like a small village in Hackney.Father and daughter watching the chickens.

Walking through the streets of Hackney, you feel that there is a lot of creativity in the air. This is a place where hip-dressed people of all ages meet on the street and in one of the many trendy coffee bars, galleries or markets. Between the old buildings you will occasionally find a new-build complex and some old buildings have already been filled in with fancy offices and / or luxury apartments. This neighborhood is in transition and is becoming increasingly popular for a larger audience.

We close our tour and continue our way towards Amhurst Road, where we had parked our car for free at a sidestreet. Luckily on Sundays you can park for free at some places in London. This app shows you where. If you don’t have a car and want to use public transport to visit Hackney, keep in mind that only the overground line will pass by at Hackney Central Railway Station.

Hackney Road.

For more information about this vibrant district in East London, please refer to the website of the London Borough of Hackney.